Kosta Bergh 1930s Huge Engraved Lead Crystal Vase with Naked Hermes or Mercury

This spectacular vase depicts a lithe figure, running naked across the perfectly cut crystal. That figure is the Greek god Hermes (the Roman Mercury), who was the god of translators and interpreters. He was the most clever of the Olympian gods, and served as messenger for all the other gods. He ruled over wealth, good fortune, commerce, fertility, and thievery. In this Art Deco-influenced engraving, he wears only a winged helmet and shoes and carries a caduceus.

The vase is very big and heavy, weighing almost 10 pounds and measuring about 9.5" tall and 6.5" across. It has marvelously planed sides, sharp edges, a rounded rim, and a tapered base. It was engraved using the traditional copper-wheel method, one that requires incredible skill. The piece has the expected wear on its base and some very small imperfections (a few bubbles throughout and 3 tiny scratches near the caduceus), but overall it is in fantastic condition.

Between 1928 and 1950, Elis Bergh was the artistic leader of Kosta glass mill . After 1950 until his death in 1954 he appeared as a consultant to Kosta. He came to Kosta for an architectural assignment in which he was to design an interior at the mill. In 1928 he was called back to draw lighting fixtures, an area in which he considered was an authority. As an artistic director he stood for the graceful yet modern design that characterized Kosta's production during the interwar period.